Three Rivers Community College

(online version- FALL 2008)
3 Credits

HAVE FUN WHILE LEARNING ABOUT OPTICS!

Optics around the house. L>R, Disappearing beaker, bent pencil, vanishing glare, pinhole photos of the sun, colors in a compact fluorescent bulb

Course Description:
Photonics is the technology that uses light (photons.)  In this course we will explore the physics that makes photonics possible: nature of light, where light comes from, the basic units used to measure light, the laws of reflection and refraction and how these lead to image formation, the nature of waves and the wavelike behavior of light, and common light sources, including lasers.

Throughout the course, we’ll talk about the applications of photonics in medicine, transportation, manufacturing, communications, environmental monitoring, defense, and consumer devices. You will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding by doing home demonstrations and short experiments and discussing the results online with your classmates.

Of course, there will also be regular homework assignments, computer simulations (applets found on the internet), and self tests and quizzes.

Text and other materials:

• LIGHT- Introduction to Optics and Photonics (Donnelly & Massa) is available at www.lulu.com in hard cover, soft cover (color and black and white) and digital download. (All royalties go to a fund for optics education.)
• Home lab (see below)
• All other materials (including home lab experiments) are found at the course web site.
• Photonics Spectra and Laser Focus World (these are monthly trade journals) are optional, but these are good sources of photonics applications and they are free.
• Some of the hands on activities have been recorded as "Explorations" which you can see here.

Prerequisites:
Algebra will be used so you should have successfully completed high school Algebra II. We'll use a bit of trigonometry, but trig tutorials are available in the online course. No previous knowledge of optics is assumed.

The Home Labs:
The only materials you need to purchase for your home labs are a laser pointer, a small flashlight  (if you don’t have one), and an optics lab kit (about $20 at Edmund Optics.) The best way to understand photonics is to DO and SEE it.

Can I take the course pass/fail?
Yes- BUT... If you are enrolled (or may one day be enrolled) in a Three Rivers engineering technology program, you need to take the course for a grade. If you are taking this course for fun and don't want a degree, you may take it pass/fail or for a grade- ask the instructor how to arrange a pass/fail option.

What it costs and how to sign up:
If you live in Connecticut, the tuition and fees are: $397. You will also need the optics lab kit. The book is available as a digital download ($15) or black and white paperback ($25) or hardcover full color ($89) at stores.lulu.com/PHOTON2
If you live outside of Connecticut, the tuition and fees are: $440.50. You will also need the optics lab kit. The book is available as a digital download ($15) or black and white paperback ($25) or hardcover full color ($89) at stores.lulu.com/PHOTON2.
If you are new to the college, there is also a $20 application fee.

To register for the course: use the combined application for online/distance learning from http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/SecTier/admiss.html

To see the course outline (topic list), click here.

To see a generic course calendar, click here.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE COURSE OR HOW TO REGISTER, email jdonnelly@lasertechonline.org

Back to Laser and Fiber Optic Home Page